Age in Heaven

I saw someone post this picture on Facebook called the first moments in heaven...



It got me thinking... are you supposed to retain your current age of death when you go to heaven? Do old people have to remain old? Do kids have to remain kids? Or can you become whatever age you want to be? Can an old lady revert to having the body of her 20-year-old self again? If you die as a 4-year-old are you stuck that way or can you advance yourself to what you would have been had you lived to your 20s? If so how does that accurately happen? I mean who you are is based on your life experiences so does god run a simulation to see what type of person you would have been had you lived? Do you get to actually live out a full life after all and then decided what age you want to be in heaven?

What happens if the child grows up to be an atheist in that simulation? I mean a child could be innocent and Jesus loving when they're young so if they die they'd go to heaven, but what happens if it turns out the child would have grown up to be the next Hitler. Does god have to factor that into whether they should remain in heaven?

What if you're already dead and this is that simulation? Obviously you wouldn't be allowed to know this was the simiulation otherwise it would ruin the simulation wouldn't it? What happens to any kids that you end up having in your simulation? What happens to the spouse you ended up having? I would think that in your simulation you would have ended up marrying someone who in reality married someone else. If you meet in heaven is that awkward knowing that your partners real soul mate was someone else, but they died before they met?

I mean it seems like this has to be the way things work unless we believe infants who die in child birth have to remain infants for eternity. That would suck to never be able to advance in a meaningful way. That would seem more like hell to me.

I'm pretty sure the Bible says no physical body in heaven, so I'd guess no age.

It appears influence and not physical life was used to calculate age in the Old Testament. One would have no influence in heaven.

I want to be 27 again.

And that painting is a very nice sentiment.

Never mind... :inandout:

MrWonka said:

I saw someone post this picture on Facebook called the first moments in heaven...

View attachment 67265549

It got me thinking... are you supposed to retain your current age of death when you go to heaven? Do old people have to remain old? Do kids have to remain kids? Or can you become whatever age you want to be? Can an old lady revert to having the body of her 20-year-old self again? If you die as a 4-year-old are you stuck that way or can you advance yourself to what you would have been had you lived to your 20s? If so how does that accurately happen? I mean who you are is based on your life experiences so does god run a simulation to see what type of person you would have been had you lived? Do you get to actually live out a full life after all and then decided what age you want to be in heaven?

What happens if the child grows up to be an atheist in that simulation? I mean a child could be innocent and Jesus loving when they're young so if they die they'd go to heaven, but what happens if it turns out the child would have grown up to be the next Hitler. Does god have to factor that into whether they should remain in heaven?

What if you're already dead and this is that simulation? Obviously you wouldn't be allowed to know this was the simiulation otherwise it would ruin the simulation wouldn't it? What happens to any kids that you end up having in your simulation? What happens to the spouse you ended up having? I would think that in your simulation you would have ended up marrying someone who in reality married someone else. If you meet in heaven is that awkward knowing that your partners real soul mate was someone else, but they died before they met?

I mean it seems like this has to be the way things work unless we believe infants who die in child birth have to remain infants for eternity. That would suck to never be able to advance in a meaningful way. That would seem more like hell to me.

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Looks more like paradise on earth to me since the Bible says “flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom, neither does corruption inherit incorruption”...​1 Corinthians 15:50-54...

Elvira said:

Looks more like paradise on earth to me since the Bible says “flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom, neither does corruption inherit incorruption”...​1 Corinthians 15:50-54...

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So I guess Jesus left his body behind when he ascended....

MrWonka said:

I saw someone post this picture on Facebook called the first moments in heaven...

View attachment 67265549

Click to expand...

MrWonka said:

I saw someone post this picture on Facebook called the first moments in heaven...

View attachment 67265549

It got me thinking... are you supposed to retain your current age of death when you go to heaven? Do old people have to remain old? Do kids have to remain kids? Or can you become whatever age you want to be? Can an old lady revert to having the body of her 20-year-old self again? If you die as a 4-year-old are you stuck that way or can you advance yourself to what you would have been had you lived to your 20s? If so how does that accurately happen? I mean who you are is based on your life experiences so does god run a simulation to see what type of person you would have been had you lived? Do you get to actually live out a full life after all and then decided what age you want to be in heaven?

What happens if the child grows up to be an atheist in that simulation? I mean a child could be innocent and Jesus loving when they're young so if they die they'd go to heaven, but what happens if it turns out the child would have grown up to be the next Hitler. Does god have to factor that into whether they should remain in heaven?

What if you're already dead and this is that simulation? Obviously you wouldn't be allowed to know this was the simiulation otherwise it would ruin the simulation wouldn't it? What happens to any kids that you end up having in your simulation? What happens to the spouse you ended up having? I would think that in your simulation you would have ended up marrying someone who in reality married someone else. If you meet in heaven is that awkward knowing that your partners real soul mate was someone else, but they died before they met?

I mean it seems like this has to be the way things work unless we believe infants who die in child birth have to remain infants for eternity. That would suck to never be able to advance in a meaningful way. That would seem more like hell to me.

Click to expand...

All good questions. I think you are conflating stages of life together. We are on earth now. Our spiritual body is joined with our physical body. At death, the body and spirit separate. The body to the grave and the spirit to either paradise or spirit prison (of evil doers) 1Peter 3:19-20. Our spirits in paradise will reunite with our ancestors and I believe (my opinion) our spirits will look like we did while on earth prior to dying except whole. After all, the spirit isn't what has cancer or a missing limb.

Let's also remember in John 3:13, it says, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." We then first came down from heaven to earth meaning our spirit bodies came down and joined with our physical body. If not, we could not ascend in the resurrection with Christ because he did. So, when we die and return to paradise, we will see those we knew before coming down. A true happy reunion in paradise. Not so in Spirit Prison as much. Al though, I think there will be communication between those in the two arenas because Christ went from paradise to spirit prison and I think we will assist him in teaching and preaching to all those who did not have the opportunity to here the Word of God if we get to go to paradise. And, at some point in time, we will be resurrected as the Bible so states. Our bodies will be made incorruptible. Some more glorious than others 1Corinthians chapter 15. The earthly age that we will be? Unknown but not a hair on our heads will be lost. Nor will it matter as there will be no more vanity.

There is another part of your questioning that seems to belong more during the Millennium. The 1,000 years or so in which Satan will be bound and the Lord's work can be finished. People won't die during that period. There may be births as well. During that time period, perhaps those who didn't have the opportunity to be tested will be raised by goodly parents still on the earth. But, at the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be loosed and the children will have the opportunity to choose for themselves good or evil. And, shortly after, the battle of God and Magog will happen and then the earth will be raised to its Celestial Glory. The only other thing is that children who died prior to the Millennium before they were old enough to be held accountable for their sins will be resurrected to the highest glory of all. They were they with Gabriel who ushered out Lucifer and his fallen angels from heaven promised not to be harmed spiritually by Lucifer while here on earth.

ecofarm said:

I'm pretty sure the Bible says no physical body in heaven, so I'd guess no age.

It appears influence and not physical life was used to calculate age in the Old Testament. One would have no influence in heaven.

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Isaiah 26:19
Old Testament
19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
What is then resurrection?

Matthew 27:52
New Testament
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

Luke 24:39
New Testament
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

There are many other scriptures that say there is a physical resurrection. Note in the the account in Luke that His body is flesh and bone. No blood mentioned. Interesting.

Elvira said:

Looks more like paradise on earth to me since the Bible says “flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom, neither does corruption inherit incorruption”...​1 Corinthians 15:50-54...

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But, flesh and bone can.
Luke 24:39
New Testament
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

it's just me said:

So I guess Jesus left his body behind when he ascended....

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Nope

Luke 24:39
New Testament
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

Cougarbear said:

Nope

Luke 24:39
New Testament
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

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I responded to the quoted section.

Cougarbear said:

Isaiah 26:19
Old Testament
19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
What is then resurrection?

Matthew 27:52
New Testament
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

Luke 24:39
New Testament
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

There are many other scriptures that say there is a physical resurrection. Note in the the account in Luke that His body is flesh and bone. No blood mentioned. Interesting.

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That appears to all be referring to Jesus and in His resurrection we find spiritual resurrection. From the blind come saints.

Cougarbear said:

But, flesh and bone can.
Luke 24:39
New Testament
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

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Jesus was not in heaven yet, was he?

“He being put to death in the flesh, but being made alive in the spirit.” 1 Peter 3:18

3 things make it impossible for Jesus to take back his physical body he had before his death, to ascend to heaven...

1. If Jesus took his human body to heaven to keep these wounds forever, this would be contrary to God’s laws governing fleshly bodies and their ability to repair themselves...

2. A human body requires earthly elements for its continued existence...it is made for the earth and must subsist upon the things produced from the earth...1 Corinthians 15:40, 47; Isaiah 45:12, 18...Jehovah God would not take a human body out of its proper habitation and transfer it to the heavens, the realm of spirit persons...

3. If Jesus sacrificed his human body for the life of the world and then took it back, retaining it for himself, he could not offer such merit before God in behalf of others...the ransom would be taken back, leaving mankind still in their sins...in other words, his ransom would be void...

Elvira said:

Jesus was not in heaven yet, was he?

“He being put to death in the flesh, but being made alive in the spirit.” 1 Peter 3:18

3 things make it impossible for Jesus to take back his physical body he had before his death, to ascend to heaven...

1. If Jesus took his human body to heaven to keep these wounds forever, this would be contrary to God’s laws governing fleshly bodies and their ability to repair themselves...

2. A human body requires earthly elements for its continued existence...it is made for the earth and must subsist upon the things produced from the earth...1 Corinthians 15:40, 47; Isaiah 45:12, 18...Jehovah God would not take a human body out of its proper habitation and transfer it to the heavens, the realm of spirit persons...

3. If Jesus sacrificed his human body for the life of the world and then took it back, retaining it for himself, he could not offer such merit before God in behalf of others...the ransom would be taken back, leaving mankind still in their sins...in other words, his ransom would be void...

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I assume you have scriptural proof for this?

ecofarm said:

I'm pretty sure the Bible says no physical body in heaven, so I'd guess no age.

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Age is more than a physical body. It's the culmination of your experiences. It's maturity, it's wisdom...

MrWonka said:

Age is more than a physical body. It's the culmination of your experiences. It's maturity, it's wisdom...

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There's no self improvement in heaven.

Elvira said:

Looks more like paradise on earth to me since the Bible says “flesh and blood cannot inherit God’s kingdom, neither does corruption inherit incorruption”...​1 Corinthians 15:50-54...

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Age is about more than the condition of your physical body. It's about experience, wisdom, maturity...

MrWonka said:

Age is about more than the condition of your physical body. It's about experience, wisdom, maturity...

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In heaven no one's got issues. No one's working on anything. There's no blind spots or selfishness. And there are no dumbasses.

ecofarm said:

There's no self improvement in heaven.

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How do you know that?

ecofarm said:

There's no self improvement in heaven.

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So if a 1 year old dies and goes to heaven that's all they can ever be? What's the point? Do its parents get stuck changing its diapers for eternity?

RAMOSS said:

How do you know that?

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Do we get everything we want or not?

MrWonka said:

So if a 1 year old dies and goes to heaven that's all they can ever be? What's the point? Do its parents get stuck changing its diapers for eternity?

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Everyone is fully self realized.

ecofarm said:

Do we get everything we want or not?

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That is a non sequitur and avoidance of the question.

RAMOSS said:

That is a non sequitur and avoidance of the question.

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If we get everything we want in heaven, that includes self realization. There's no swear jar in heaven.

ecofarm said:

If we get everything we want in heaven, that includes self realization. There's no swear jar in heaven.

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You are making assumptions. You have not shown how you know it, just more unsupported claims.